While Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that a plan to reopen New York City public schools will involve even stricter safety rules, a significant increase in coronavirus testing, and a new agreement with the state government, but So far the president has not revealed specific details that clarify the doubts that persist among the 300,000 students who take face-to-face classes, as well as their parents and teachers.
De Blasio said Thursday that the plan will be drawn up and released in the coming days in response to journalists’ persistence.
“We are readjusting the equation,” he said. “We need to reach a new agreement with the State, with the people of this city, with the parents, with all the people who work in the schools on what is going to work for this new time.”
What De Blasio, Chancellor Richard Carranza and, to a lesser extent, Governor Andrew Cuomo have made clear is that the shutdown that began Thursday could extend through at least Thanksgiving.
Carranza emphasized several times that the closures will be temporary and that students will return to classrooms as soon as possible.
“We are shifting toward remote instruction rather than the in-person instruction that some of our students have been receiving,” Carranza said Wednesday. “So school is still in session and students will continue to learn and be supported by our teachers.”
The shift to remote learning, even temporary, could still leave many students behind. Approximately 60,000 still do not have access to electronic devices. And many working parents have struggled to find child care.
Officials will keep the Learning Bridges child care program open and will continue to provide free lunches. Also, parents should call 311 to request a device, Carranza urged.
Meanwhile, De Blasio maintained that returning to classrooms will require new testing standards and encouraged parents to fill out consent forms for tests that allow staff to evaluate their children.
“I’m going to emphasize again, if you are someone who says ‘I really want the schools to open,’ the next thing you need to do is submit this test consent form immediately,” de Blasio said. “You can do that online. Get it, so we know your child is ready to be tested because testing will be a crucial part of the way forward for schools to reopen.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York City schools may not be able to test all students due to the large size of the system.
Testing in schools so far has shown them to be relatively safe: Only 0.19 percent of students tested tested positive for coronavirus, according to the data.
Outside of schools, the city’s average COVID-19 positivity is 3.01 percent, just above the metrics to justify the closure.
De Blasio defended the 3 percent threshold numerous times in the past week. He acknowledged that it is a conservative move, but said it was decided as a “gold standard” for safety at a time when reopening schools amid the pandemic seemed reckless at best.
There appears to be no movement yet to adjust the 3 percent threshold, which is what Cuomo and many other officials have suggested.
Cuomo, for his part, noted that state rules on school closings allow districts to “test” closures. However, he noted that New York City officials have adopted a stricter standard and are within their right to uphold it.
De Blasio acknowledged the “obvious question” of why the city did not have an elaborate reopening plan, but did not fully answer it. He said the city had a “constantly changing situation.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to imagine the next phase until you get there, you do your best to plan for the future, but that can change,” the mayor said.
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